[JLR] A Little DHA Goes a Long Way

Dietary DHA-supplementation does not affect the concentrations of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (AG) or 2-oleoylglycerol (OG) in the brain, but decreases them significantly in plasma.

Endocannabinoids are fatty-acid-derived signaling lipids that are physiologically important in many mammalian systems, particularly the brain. In this study, the authors report on how two-week docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation affects the physiological state of 15 endocannabinoid-related metabolites in the plasma and brain of mice. Their lipodomic analysis revealed that a DHA-rich diet markedly elevated the DHA, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), 2-eicosapentanoylglycerol (EPG) and docosahexanoylethanolamine (DHEA) concentrations in both plasma and brain, while regulating other metabolite species in a compartment- and/or metabolite-selective manner; in general, DHA supplementation shifted the balance to favor docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic species compared with arachidonoyl and oleoyl derivatives. Overall, the endocannabinoid metabolome exhibited greater responsiveness to DHA in plasma, perhaps reflecting that the brain maintains its lipid population within a more stringent homeostatic range. This analysis suggests that even short-term DHA enhancement can affect select constituents of brain and plasma endocannabinoids.